Rack-rail locomotive.



G. .PRATTQ max RAIL LocoMofrIvB.

APPLICATION FILED JALLZB, 1907. y

` Patented May 3, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

{Kafka/556,5, I

c. A. PRATT. RACK RAIL LOCOMOTIV'E. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1907.

Patented May 3, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. A. PRATT.

RACK-RAIL LOGOMOTIVE. APPLIGTIOH FILED JAN; 28, 1907. 956,732. Patented May 3, 1910.

motive rail; r

description and-is provided 'with one or Afand improved device of this description.

-i s a sectional view taken on line 6.16 of Fig.

-driven by means of this 'connection to the .onto the line by suitable connections leading onannns .PRATT, oFcHIoAGo, ILLINoIs,

PATENT OFFICE,

ASSIGNOR TO GOODMAN, MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F CH'ICAGQILLINOIS, CORPOMTION 0F ILLINOIS.'

.neck-nait. Locomotive.

To all whom it may'ccmcer'n: Be it' known that I Cnanrns A. PRATT, a citizen of the United tates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Rack-Ra il Locomotives, of which-.the following is a specication.

This inventionrelates to rack rail locomotives, and has for -its object Vto provide a new:

This' inventionis illustrated in the accent panying drawings, Wherein A' 5' A Figure 1 .1 is a diagrammatic view'shoiving the 4I noto1 s;,. a 1nd controllers for electric Acircuits;. Fig`.f2 is' a View showing the switches* .connected f With the operating c/ontiollers 'Fig-34S a sectional view taken-on line 3 3' of Fig..2'; Fig. 4 is a .side elevation of the controller shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a .plan View of the controller shown in Fig. 2.; Fig. G

2; Fig. 7'is a sectional View through the locosho'wing the connection to the rack Lilfcflettci'rs referto like parts throughout the s everaliiigures.

The locomotive A may be of any desired more sprocket Wheels B which engage a rack rail C,. Athe locomotive ordinarily being rack rail. When; for example, the motor is running down' hill 'the construction is such thattlleinotor'nfill run as a dynamo, andthe current developed used in any desired mannel',l as by being passed into rheostats or hack to Athe trolley or the third rail, thus producing a braking eilcct upon the locomotive. duc to v,the work required 'of the motor.

In Fig. 1 there is 'illustrated a diagrammatic view of the electric circuits of a locomotive element, and for purpose of illustration two motors and two controlling devices are shown. By means of two motors a sufciently high potential can be secured to force the current back on the' line, even when the device 'is ruiming atcon'ipnral-ivclyrslow s )eed,'that is, when' the motor is running at slower speed than it would hc when operating the locomotive.

"Referring to Figi, two motors I) and E Specification of Letters Patent. rputation-ana January 2a, 190'7. semi No. 354,426. i

4Patented May h3, 19410.

.shown also a series of'braking rheostat's 'G and H into which the current may be directedto secure the these rheostats are-used al braking controller I is also provided. W'hen the'motors are operating to operate the locomotive the con- 'troller F is used, and when the motors are operating as dynainos the controller I is used. Interlocking mechanism is provided so that only one controller can be operated at a time. Any desired arrangement to seshown the controller F ias associated with it 'L which 4controls the connection betiveenthe 'motors and the controller I. The-switches are-jarranged sovthat they cannot be changed when the arm of the controller F is moved from its initial possible-'to o crate both cont-rollers at the same time.

Fl and projects'into the path of the'eontrolling art for the switches except .vvh'en the han c of the controller is its initial on the arm F*3 enters the de ression or groove F 2. The arm F3 is norma. ly forced toward the disk F1 bythe spring F. The switches J and K. are provided with an operating handle Jl arranged so aste strike thcend of the arm F3 if it is attempted to move said handle after the handle of thecontroller F able arrangement of these switches J and K may he provided.' As herein shown the handle Jl is connected to the shaft Jewlpon which is mourned the part J carrying-the contacts J 4, J". The shaft J2 is pfvided with a crank JG to which is connected a connecting link J I engaging a crank 1K1 on :iltachcd the contacts K4, Kr'. Associated contacts J s"and J 4 will be moved to disconnect contacts Js from each 4other and. contacts J from cach other, and connect con'- tacts J with contacts J. The switch L is are shown diagrammatically. A motor controller F of the usual construction may be `used. As illustrated in Fig. 1, there isi provided with a controlln r handle L1 which is shown as bclng mountei. u on a sleev L`=' on the shaft J2. This han le 1s arranged braking effect. .iVhen 4thereversing switches J, K, and the switch position, thus making it irn position,d in which event the engaging partis moved from its initial position. Any suiteure-this result may be n'ovided. As herein herein-shown this result is securedbg. providin 'the controller F with the disk x provide with a notch F2. An arm Fa isarranged so as to engage thedisk" a shaft K2 carrying the part K to which are i withthecontacts J 4 and J5 are the contacts J s and4 J i varra nged upon a st utionary part so. that' tvhe the shaft J2 is rotated the lwith an 'eniagin'g part L* which engiiges the arm FV w en 1t 1s attem tedtomove the arm L2 after thee'rm of tic controller F is moved from its initial position. The switch L is provided .with the contacts L* Lmountmanner 'as motors and `drive the. locomotive- .v

When 4 the locomotive ldown hillf and it is desired torun the motors'as dynamos to generate current to secure the brak-- ing effect, 4the handle ofthe controller -F moved toits initial position where the ena gaging' 'part of arm-F2 -will be in' the depression or groove F2 so as to Withdraw the ann F3. out of` the Way of the arms of the switches. The switches J, K'and L are then moved to" the position sho'wn in full lines in Fig. l.

The motors are then 'connected 'Withthe controllerI. If the controller I is now operated when the-locomotive is in motion the motorswill be driven as dynamos through the connectionwith the ra. ;l{ C,-and4 the current confducted-tothe braking .rheostatsv Gr and H {.fwhere it visrdissipated in heat. The' oonnection between the rackrztl, and thesprocket wheels end mot'ors constitutes a positive conl nectionpreventing any slippageso thatthe motorsare positively actuated-as dynamos and ,the maximumbraking eiect positively' and-certainly Secured.

When the controller I is in operation and -the motors arejrunnin'g as. generators, the

i f circuit may Vbe traced as follows:'fromtl1e ground AN through the field magnets of mo- -tor E, thence by conductor .Nx to switch J, the Vswitches 'being in the .position shown in the. full lines V:it this time, 'thence 'by conf ductor 2. through. the armature of motor E, lthence hyconductor N to switch J, thence by conductor. N2. to fuse block N", thence to.

vM2,v thence by conductor O 'to the controller I, thence. tlujouglr4 the contacts of .saidj cong "troller to' conductor O1,- thence-through con- 5o ductor Pto the-rheostuts G and H, thenceV by ,conductor' Q, and conductors. Q1, Q2 and ,Qjto contactM, thenoeb switch L to con- QR* 'oi-rougetre field ma netsf ifi-om D,

and thence. tothe grou'n It will be seen l bra-king effect '.0..tl1at'.`t l1eV -current'can be-sent through as is4 .manyof the`rheostet elements4 G 'snd H as" desiredby roper manipulation of the controller I, orthe purpose of' varying' l Blow-oni? E c.

one,

ing one controller .romfbecoming-.operatve 'while the' otherds'invoperationr telly .tvwill be noted that there is'here. pro- .motors -or generators, there being lpower' 'driving` connections- 4between them` and to connection. may, for example, consistsimply- .te connect-'ed thisextraneous s roe wheels met'.

cludes the I cfu .motor daptedio operate thesaz'ne, `a positive-'I'driving connection separte'- from the supportingwheels for drivingthemo-f tor Vas a dynamo when the locomotive is running down grade and means-fior utilizing the current thus evelopedwhereby a.`l )'rek'A ging eieot is secured' 'and' the ,progress of the` locomotive retarded;l t.

f 2. The 'combination fwith a `locomotive having supportingwheels therefor of a motor.' :for -driviiigthe"sarne,ja racl'r'rail alon which the locomotive. runs, aV sprocket whee on the locomotive engaging the-rack, o. osiftve connectionbetween the motoren the l sprocket -wheel,"Whereb'y the sprocket -Wheel may neither be Vdriven 'or itsrotation resisted, two controllers for' the' motor one- .for'controlling itvhenjit is rurming'zisv a loo a dynamo," a reversing 'switch'assooiated with one controller and means/for prevent# 3,4 The'. combination.; th 'fa l having. supporting vvheel's' therefor-cf fa inot'or for driving the semeyarackrail"along which the-locomotive runs, a; positive con' l' nection between 'th '-motorand'the rack rml, 110- two controllersfo the 'motorjone-for con# trollingt wheni t is.running' as'a. motor,-

one controller 4n nd meansffor preventing 115 one controller from becomingV operativev while the/ other 1s 1n operatron, an-operatlve connection between said means and the reversingsw'itch and .aseries of braking rheo- Stats connected with Vone of said'controllers. 12o

4; The combination with arack rail loco` motive having supporting wheels therefor of a motor adapted to operate it, means separate fronthe'supporting Whoa-lsf for positively driing the motor as av .dynamo fwhen the 12b locomotive is running-down grade, and controllijn up are rentio said? ilp besagter@ t v n o anextraneous source. This power driving.

los'

tus 'for controlling. thefcur-f44 7 0r. whensoirees-edreams-- 5. rlhe combination with a` locomotive of a motor for dri-ving the same, a rack railA along whichthe locomotive runs, a cs itive' connection between the motor and t. ve rack rail,` two controllers for the motor one for controlhng 1t .when 119,15 running as a-inotor;

and the other '.for control'ling'it when it is running as a dynamo and nonffrictionalmeans for resisting the movement of. the locomotive when one ontrollerlis nuse.' A

'6. The combinationLv with a locomotive of a motorefor driving the same, a rack rail along which the locomotive runs, a ositive connection between Vthe motor and t e rack rail, `two controllers for the motor one for controlling it; when it is running as a motor,

and the other for controlling it when it 'is running as a dynamo, and a braking rheostat connected with one of' 'said controllers -and separate from said positive connection between the motor and -the rack rail.

In a power system a plurality of electric machines capable o'being used either as mot-ors or generators, powerA driving connections between them and lto an extraneous source, and electrical connections between said .machines and to a power absorbing.

means.

In power systemel plurality o' electric machines capable fof being used either as 1motors or generators, power ydriving connectio'nsvbetween them fand to an Iextraneous source, and electrical connections between said machines and to the electrical l' supply system for returning power thereto.

9. 'A rack rail power system comprising' a plurality of electric machines, capable of eing used either as motors or generators,

power driving connections between theml and to an :extraneous source, electrical connections between said machines.' and to "a power absorbing means, the sad'power driving connections including the rack.

A10. Ina locomotivev 'power system, a pluy rality ofelectric macliine's capable of being usedv either as motors-'or generators, power .drving'connections-between them and to an extraneous source,v electrie connections to suchmachines- 'and to apower absorbing means, the said extraneous sourde including the driving Wheels. v CHARLES A. PRATT.

Witnesses:

Enna K. REYNOLDS, 'LUCY A. FALKENBERG. 

